Duel of Honor
by fairyoracle
Summary: The ganddaughter of the Cheiftainess of Kazham must face the fight of her life against her own mother.


**_Notes: Hello FFXI Readers. I am a roleplayer on the Asura server with several characters that I play, level and RP with. _**

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**_Ashtari is one of the one's I've had for the longest time. This story I wrote to close off the story I was Rping so it would help you to know her background to understand the reason for this duel. Ashtari Wahcandalo is Jakoh Wahcandalo's granddaughter and she was in exile. Her mother Elamani broke away form Kazham and started a new tribe when Jakoh opened Kazham to outsiders from the mainland. When Ash was to take her mother's place she ran away to the mainland and became a dragoon. Her mother believing in the old ways sent out a Mithran Hunter to assassinate her. When this story takes place Ash has gone back to Elshimo to clear her name of being a traitor. To be accepted back, because it is automatic banishment to leave, and to clear her name of treason for abandoning her responsibilities her mother has demanded a duel to the death. _**

**Here are some screen shots of her IG:**

**This is a poster a member of an RP LS I was in did of Ash for me**

**In a swimsuit**

**Ashtari triumphs!**

**Duel of Honor**

She could hear the wind through the trees. She could hear the sound of the singing insects. She could hear the rushing of the water. She could hear the drumming in her chest. All together it created a symphony, the symphony of life.  
Her ear twitched in response to a rustle intruding on the rhythm. She opened an eye to see the wyvern rush to the door. She glanced into the eyes of her partner the message clear in her mind. Someone approached the retreat hut where she was in final preparations.

Slowly Ashtari arose and headed to the door. The mithra at the door only registered slight surprise. "Prrrincess, all is rrready but your Grrrandmother wishes to speak to you firrrst."

"Thank you" she said "you can go now."

Ash turned and retrieved her lance as the small dragon ran out the door and turned to make sure she was following. She smiled, even now when the situation was serious the wyvern still brought her joy. Her eyes fell on the ribbon and she smiled thinking of her new friends and the ones who had disappeared. It was impossible for her to regret the past 2 1/2 years. She had too many memories, she had grown and learned too much. She had acheived her dreams to be a Dragoon and the ways of the Samurai but she still had much to learn. The one thing she did regret was that perhaps she would have to leave that life behind.

Her grandmother was right. Change only came when leaders desired it and led others to embrace it and it seemed to be the will of Vanadiel that she be in the perfect position to be an agent of that change. Her grandmother had started that change when she accepted her duel to claim leadership of Kazham and now was asking Ashtari to pick up that torch. It was asking her to make a great sacrifice and somehow she couldn't refuse, even if it meant facing possibly killing her own mother.

"Ashtarrri," she heard in the unmistakable voice of Jakoh Wahcandalo.

"Yes Grrrandmotherr I am ready," she said rising grabbing her lance.

As she came out of the hut she met the Chieftainess's stern gaze. "Remember if you want to live and to see change come and see your ideals come you have to be deterrrmined to fight for them. Your motherrr has chosen her fate you need not feel guilty if you must kill herrr."

"You don't even feel a little hurrrt at this, any hesitation about telling me I might kill yourr daughter, my motherrr?"

Jakoh sighed. "Of course rrregret this, I loved yourr mother, but my firrrst duty is to think of what is best forrr the Mithra of Elshimo. That is the same burrrden you will take if you choose to live. You must defeat herrr and she may die that is something you must face."

Ashtari nodded. "I know... I wish I could do this some otherrr way." With a sigh her eyes fell upon her wyvern staring up at her and smiled.

"You know you can't take the beast with you onto the battlefeild" Jakoh said.

"I know I'll tell her to wait and she will listen" the mithra answered walking forward.

Ashtari and Jakoh walked in silence hearing the crowd as they approeached the clearing. Instantly silence came upon the mithra once they entered at the north side of the ceremonial circle drawn in the dirt. Already waiting, on the other side of the circle, stood Elamani Wahcandalo, her silver hir tied back in a pony-tail, her jaw set and her eyes steely. Ashtari's gaze locked with her mother's as she took her place on the southside of the circle as Jakoh rose her voice to speak.

"Huntrrresses of Elshimo today you come to witness an honor duel between Elamani Wahcandalo Cheiftainess of the Great River tribe and Ashtarrri Wahcandalo Princess of the Great River tribe and champion of Kazham. According to the wishes of Elamani the deul will be to the death and said winnerrr will be the rightful Chieftainess of the Grrreat River tribe. This has been sanctioned by herrr council and mine and thus binding on all in Elshimo." She paused gesturing to the two waiting combatants. "Do eitherrr of you wish to speak before the duel begins?"

"Just to rrremind my daughter of her duty to kill me if she wins" Elamani stated.

"Why must it be to the death? You can change it now if you want to" Ashtarrri plead.

"It must be to the death because it must be that way" she said simply.

"I don't think that's the rrreal rreason, I don't think you have the courage to face change if you loose" Ashtari said.

"Its not I that that ran frrom her duty like a coward" Elamani said with venom.

Jakoh interrupted "If all that you two can do is insult eachotherrr then let us get to the battle."

Ashtari sighed and took her stance with her lance, tail twitching in irritation. She didn't want to do this. Her thoughts were replaced by instinct as her mother took her stance, twin blades at the ready. Ash watched her opponent her whole body tensing including her tail. She was determined not to make the first move, her mother wished to push her to make the move but she wouldn't allow it. She would remain in control by not being the aggressor. Elamani smirked knowingly and charged. Planting her lance in the ground Ashtari leapt to meet her mother midway. A gasp rose from the members of the Gret River Tribe never having seen the way a Dragoon could handle a lance.

A moment of surprise flickered across the older mithra's face before she stopped short jumping backwards and flinging a knife in the spot her daughter would land. Ash, seeing the projectile at the last minute barely maneuered around it bending backwards.

Coming at her again Elamani produced another daggger from a sheath at her hip. Slicing upward as Ashtari stepped back and swung at her arm. The older mithra's other hand came up and grasped the lance but unexpectadly Ash dropped releasing the weapon sweeping her leg across Elamani's knees. Not quite going down on the ground Elamani grasped at Ashtari's tail.

Ash moved around her turning quickly flipping back. As soon as her feet hit the ground Ashtari prepared for another larger jump, with a running start, planting her lance she struck a glancing blow sending Elamani skidding. Elamani, on her back reacged up throwing a dagger grazing Ash's arm before she knocked it away. Taking advantage at the moment Elamani jabbed at Ashtari's midsection and rolled away.

As Elamani leaped away Ash followed. As Elamani sliced up at her Ashtari parried with her lance waiting for an opening. Ash dropped to do another sweeping move only this time Elamani avoided jumping over. Charging to where he mother landed Ashtari leapt again connecting with her in the air. Flipping the lance around Ash struck a penta thrust using the butt of the lance into Elamani's back. The Cheiftainess of the Great River Tribe went down hard into the dirt. Kicking her over Ash rested the point of her lance to her mother's throat.

"Surrrender" Ash panted.

"No" Elamani said between clinched teeth. "You have to kill me."

"No" Ashtari replied. "Admitt I won the challenge."

"And then will you kill me?"

"You have won Ashtarrri. You don't need her to confirm it." Jakoh stated moving into the ring.

"Come to watch my death motherr?" Elamani asked as Jakoh approached.

"I've come to watch my grrranddaughter prove her mettle" Jakoh said starring disapprovingly at her daughter. Then she turned to her granddaughter "What will you do Ashtari?"

"I've neverrr been in doubt. I grrrant you merrcy mother." Ashtari said raising her lance from her mother's throat.

"Then so be it" said Jakoh. "It is yourrr right now as Cheiftainess of your trrribe."

Turning from her daughter she faced half of the group surrounding the circle.  
Pulling her eyes from her mother's glare Ashtari turned to join her grandmother trying not to cry. A Cheiftainess should not cry in the face of this challenge no matter what. She needed to appear strong and commanding as her grandmother did in the face of watching her daughter's humiliation at the hands of her granddaughter.

"Huntresses of Elshimo!" Jakoh began. "By winning the Honor Duel Ashtarrri has cleared her name of dishonor and will now claim the foremost position in the Great River trrribe." Before the Kazhamian Cheiftainess could continue a shout came up from behind, and turning they saw Elamani dropping a throwing knife with an angry growling wyvern hanging on to her arm.

"Elamani" Jakoh Wahcandalo fairly growled "Don't tell me you've stooped to dishonorable killing she that defeated you, your Cheiftainess."

"Del let her go" Ash told her wyvern who obdiently did so. "Why motherrrr?" she asked.

"You denied me my honorable death."

"You won't meet death at my hand motherrr," Ashtari replied.

"Then so be it" she said as she bent to pick-up her dagger. "I hope you arrre capable of leading with your soft hearrt." Then suddenly she drew the dagger across her thrrroat colapsing as blood began to pour form the wound.

"Motherrr!" Ash cried kneeling down on the ground cradling her head. "I love you motherrr..." she said begining to cry watching the life slip from her eyes. Cradling her mother's head in her lap she no longer cared about appearing strong, she let the tears flow freely.

Ash feeling a touch of her shoulder looked up to her grandmother whose eyes betrayed pity of her daughter and granddaughter. "Ashtarrri if you like I'll finish the address and you can..."

"No, I should" Ash said closing Elamani's lifeless eyes. "I must orrr I rreally would be weak." Gently setting her mother down she stood grabbing her lance she took a breath and planted it in the ground next to her body with an air of authority. "Hearrr me Huntrresses of Elshimo. I Ashtarri Wahcandalo, Cheiftainess of the Grreat River trrribe declarre loyalty to the Cheiftainess of Kazham Jakoh Whcandalo. We shall rrreturn to the village and begin again in unity with ourrr sisterrs." After a few brief moments of of silence the clapping began among the Kazhamian mithra soon spreading eventually through the ranks of the Great River Tribe. "For all who wish to obserrrve the rrrememberrance of Elamani Wahcandalo you arre welcome to join me. Otherrrwise you arre dismissed to make prreparation for the rejoining of the Grrreat Rriver tribe to Kazham."

As they broke Ashtari turned to her grandmother that gave her an approving nod. "You will do well Ashtarrri in yourrr new rrole as both as your trrribes Cheiftainess and on my counsel. Especially in dealing with the mainlander's goverrrnments."

"Consul?"

"Yourrr region needs to be rrrepresented on the consul does it not?"

"Yes it does... I suppose I hdn't thought about it."

"Also yourrr time and work with those nation's goverrrnments puts you in a unique position to speak in behalf of Elshimo. Therrre is much more you can do but we will talk of it later."

Ashtari nodded, her head swimming with everything her grandmother seemed to expect of her. Sighing, knowing that she would not be able to let out the pain she had inside until she was alone later that night after the ceremonies she turned to follow the Kazhamian Cheiftainess. That was what a leader had to do after all, and that was what she was now.

As the crowd began to break a lone hume stood staring sadly at the body of Elamani Wahcandalo. The old man shook his head sadly then raised his eyes to meet Ashtari's gaze upon which he smiled. Moving towards the two mithra he nodded to Jakoh as Ash threw her arms around him.

"So you decided to sneak in you old pirrrate," Jakoh said lightly.

"Now I couldn't miss a fight like this," Gilgamesh. "Ya did a right fine job raisin' up this one Jakoh... So 'ow 're ya holdin' up Ash girl?"

"Betterrr now" she said trrying not to watch as her mother's body was taken away.

"'Tis a shame about Elamani. She was a fine young gal, may' haps I'd 'av done more if I realized she was 'headed done such a path."

"Therrre is no use blaming ourselves Gilgamesh" Jakoh shook her head. "We both trrried."

"I wish could underrrstand what made her like this…." Ash began before cutting herself off before she headed into a subject she knew to be taboo.

"Maybe ya should. After all we only kept it from ya for yer mother's sake."

"Perrrhaps later" Jakoh said putting her hand up to cut off the conversation. "Now She has the prrresent to attend to."

"Now Ash see that ya don't get so uppity like yer grandma 'here now that yer a Chieftainess" the Norgian pirate said hanging his head in feigned defeat. "She just don't 'av the time o' day fer this old friend anymore. After all I done ta get 'er where she's at."

Ashtari giggled seeing the old cat smirk.

"Tongues wag if I talk to you too often, they alrrready wag enough as it is."

"A'rite I know when I'm not welcome" Gilgamesh said cagily to the Cheiftainess. Grabbing Ash's chin in a praternal fashion the old pirate smiled. "Now don't ya become a stranger."

"I won't" the young mithra said again hugging him.

Stepping back Gilgamesh saluted but before he left Ash suddenly remembered a promise.

"Gilgamesh can I ask a favorrr?" Ash said.

"'An what can I do fer ya?" he said suspiciously.

"Well I'd like you to forgive an offence forr a friend. His name is Hideo… his last name is Wiramizu." From the look that went across the old pirates feastures Ash decided she better start explaining. "He has a pearrrl to a clan I'm in and I thought it a good thing to have something to hold overrr his head to ensure his good behavior."

"An' ya want me ta fergiv' that bastard just fer that reason?" the old pirate asked calming slightly.

"Yes I prrromise," Ash replied smiling sweetly.

"If I find out 'e messed with ya I'll not be lettin' it pass… but I'll think on yer request." With that he turned and waved as he left for the chocobo handler.

"Ashtarrri you can't intercede and protect everrryone in Vanadiel you know." Jakoh stated".

"I know… but well I have a favorrr to ask of you also…."

"Who is it forrr?"

"A young man frrrom Elshimo named Moon."

"You can't be serrrrious…"

"I am. He just seems verrry nice and he wanted me to apologize forrr him…"

"Alrrright… we will talk about that tail grabber laterrrr…" Jakoh said shaking her head. "We have a rememberrrance to attend."

Ash nodded. It seemed she had caused enough waves for the day. Now she just had to keep her own head above water which somehow she knew wouldn't be easy.


End file.
